Guangzhou, August 11 (Xinhua) — The "Mingyang Tiancheng," the world's largest single-unit-capacity floating offshore wind power platform, departed from the port basin of the Longxue plant area of CSSC Huangpu Wenchong Shipbuilding Co., Ltd. on August 11 under the escort and protection of the Guangzhou maritime authorities, and was safely towed to the waters of the Pearl River Estuary. It will subsequently proceed to the Qingzhou IV offshore wind farm in Yangjiang for installation.

On August 11, the world's largest single-unit-capacity floating offshore wind power platform was towed out of port from Guangzhou. (Photo courtesy of the Guangzhou Maritime Safety Administration)

It is reported that the "Mingyang Tiancheng" has a rotor top height of 219 meters, a maximum airborne width of approximately 369 meters, and a displacement of about 12,250 tonnes. It is a floating wind power platform independently developed by China and the first in the world to adopt a dual-rotor, dual-turbine design, with two towers arranged in a "V" shape. It is the world's first offshore wind power platform to install two towers on a single floating foundation. The platform has a total installed capacity of 16.6 megawatts and can be deployed in a wide range of global sea areas with water depths of more than 35 meters.

Once officially put into operation, the platform is expected to generate approximately 54 million kWh of electricity annually, enough to meet the annual daily electricity demand of 30,000 three-person households. It will provide technical and equipment support for China's offshore wind power development toward larger scale and deeper and farther seas.

It is reported that the navigation channel required for towing the "Mingyang Tiancheng" has a navigable width of 212 to 227 meters, with a total distance of about 191 nautical miles. The escort and protection work faced numerous challenges, including complex hydrodynamics, significant influence from wind and currents, narrow channels with dense traffic flows, and complicated towing procedures. During the towing process, the Guangzhou Maritime Safety Administration dispatched maritime patrol vessels and maritime unmanned aerial vehicles for on-site warning and escort, and conducted remote control through information-based means; the Guangzhou Vessel Traffic Service Center implemented temporary maritime traffic control, achieving all-round escort through an integrated "land, sea, air and space" framework.